


Anyone Else But You

by Plasticnojidousha



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25115290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plasticnojidousha/pseuds/Plasticnojidousha
Summary: Nino's gang of high school friends gather over dinner and drinks. It's been ten years, but sometimes it's hard to let go of a first love.
Relationships: Matsumoto Jun/Ninomiya Kazunari, Matsumoto Jun/Sakurai Sho
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Anyone Else But You

Nino looks around the staff room one last time to make sure he's not forgetting anything. Last time, he forgot his wallet and Sho had to pay for his share of the bill, and while his stingy nature was partially glad, he doesn't want to make a habit of it. He walks out into the shop floor and approaches Kikuchi, who is busy closing the till at the end of the day. 

"I've got to head out now. Sorry, are you okay closing up by yourself today?" Nino asks.

"Of course, Ninomiya-san. I'm almost done." Kikuchi is one of the full-time staff who's been working at the shop longer. "Any fun plans for tonight?" He asks.

"Kinda... I'm meeting up with my high school mates." Nino replies, checking himself briefly in the full-length mirror. He's the least fashionable of the group, so he tried to put a bit more effort than usual today and he's wearing a new shirt on top of his usual t-shirt and jeans. He wishes Kikuchi a good evening as he leaves, ducking under the half-closed shutter at the front of the shop.

He rides the Chuo line from Koenji to Shinjuku, fighting against the waves of people at the busy station and he finally exits and arrives to Ohno's izakaya right on time. He goes in and is greeted by Ohno loudly from behind the U-shaped counter. 

"Ah Nino! Long time no see! You're the first." he smiles, looking up from the grill where Nino can see mouth-watering yakitori being cooked. 

Ohno, or Oh-chan, was one of the recently graduate students who used to help out at his high school music club during festivals. He was always more interested in food and fishing than music, so it was no surprise he ended up opening his own shop a few years ago. When they manage to get together, which only happens every few months as they get older and busier, they always meet for dinner and drinks at Ohno's. 

The door opens and Aiba enters, waving so exaggeratedly he almost knocks his own baseball cap off his head. He pulls Nino into a hug and fist bumps Ohno over the counter. 

"Oh-chan, a beer please!" He says, sitting down next to Nino. 

Jun arrives shortly after, smiles almost shyly looking around the shop and greets them before sitting in the empty chair on Nino's left and Nino doesn't know why he even bothered trying. Jun looks like he stepped out of a fashion magazine, in a pristine white hoodie and a black windbreaker that look prohibitively expensive. It's a fitting look for the creative director of a highly awarded design agency.

"I thought I wasn't going to make it. One of the clients called just as I was getting ready to leave, demanding some last minute changes to the project. It took a lot of haggling to bring them around." He's wearing glasses and looks tired as he rubs his temples before asking Oh-chan for a highball. 

As food starts arriving from Oh-chan's grill and conversation starts flowing, Sho appears. Looking somewhat out of place in his elegant business suit, he's the only of the group who entered the typical corporate world and has been steadily rising in the ranks of one of the biggest economic firms in the country. When they hear Sho talk about work it feels like he's living in a parallel reality, worlds apart from Aiba's job as a high school music teacher or Nino's role as purchasing manager for curated toy and games shops. 

Sho smiles brightly as he joins his friends at the counter "I'm starving! Oh-chan can I have some karaage, please?" And they all laugh because that's what he says every single time as soon as he steps into the restaurant. He takes off his jacket and places the leather briefcase with his initials engraved down against the wall before he sits. Then he loosens his tie and unbuttons his collar, an exclusive watch on his wrist. He's definitely what one would call "elite". 

Nino envies Sho. Not because of the money, the expensive watches or the impresive job, but because Sho had the thing that Nino wanted the most.

***

The corridor on the third floor had a good view of the late-blooming cherry trees in the back yard of the school. Nino leaned against one of the open windows, breathing in the cool April evening air. He was just weeks into his second year of high school and he had already been called to the teacher's office. His test results had been pretty bad, and his summer homework wasn't a masterpiece either. He had been too busy playing games and hanging out with his friends at the arcade over the holidays, so he had ignored his mother's warnings and rushed the homework assignment last minute. His homeroom teacher had suggested he got someone to tutor him for a few weeks, to get back on track before the next tests. Nino wasn't particularly keen on the idea, but if his grades improving would get the teacher off his back, it was worth a try.

Luckily he knew the right person for the job. It was one of the benefits of being friends with Sakurai Sho, the third year student with the best grades in school, although nobody would be able to tell from his looks, with his bleached hair and pierced ears, that he got away with because his father was a big fish. He had met Sho when he joined the music club in high school along with his childhood friend, Aiba Masaki, and their buddy from middle school, Matsumoto Jun. They often played and rehearsed with Sho, who was not only good at studying but wrote his own rap lyrics and played piano. Eventually, the group of three became a quartet who always hung around together.

As if summoned by Nino's thoughts, Sho just walked out of the building and across the backyard below, with Jun following closely. Nino thought he'd better ask him straigh away and get it over with. He turned to the stairs and followed his friends.

Nino walked in the direction of the gym, where he'd seen Sho and Jun head towards. He followed along the side of the building but couldn't find them. As he was about to give up, he heard voices in muffled tones coming from the back of the building. He found them in the narrow space that separated the old warehouse and the back of the gym. Jun's back against the wall and Sho in front of him. Way too close. Staring into the younger boy's face, their foreheads mere centimeters apart.

He saw Sho's familiar smirk on his face " So..." he had said in a low tone "Is it love or like?"

Jun's flushed face was petrified in an expression Nino had never seen before, a weird mix of terror and glee. Nino clenched his fists unconciously, he wanted to punch Jun and wipe that idiotic look off his face.

Neither moved for what had felt like hours to Nino. He wanted to run away, but his feet were not moving. He wanted to make noise so they'd know someone was there, but his hands didn't respond. Most of all, he just wanted them to stop. Suddenly, Jun had squeezed past Sho and was running away as fast as his legs would carry him. Nino, standing around the far corner just out of sight, had to lean into the wall for a bit before disappearing quietly back into the building.

He knew. Of course he knew, Nino had always been looking at Jun. He knew how Jun's face lit up when he saw Sho crossing the school gates on his bike every morning, the pink tint on his cheeks when Sho called him an idiot and ruffled his hair and the longing look in his eyes when Sho played the piano in the music room. But knowing and seeing were different things and Nino was left angry and frustrated. Jealous of Sho, who was given Jun's heart even though he already had everything.

Sho, on the other hand, was impossible to read. He watched Jun's efforts with an amused twinkle in his eye, tolerating but never encouraging. Nino couldn't tell if he returned Jun's obvious feelings for him to some degree. If he hadn't known Sho as well as he did, he would have said he was enjoying stringing the younger boy along. But under his cool appearance, Sho was one of the kindest people he'd ever met, so it seemed impossible to Nino that he'd knowingly hurt anyone like that. 

What would have Sho done if Jun hadn't run away? Nino assumed the worst and braced for impact. However, days went by as uneventful as before. There wasn't any noticeable change in either of them and, before they realised, the school year came to an end. Sho easily got into Keio University and left the three younger boys to finish their last year of high school on their own.

At the start of the new school year, walking together with Jun and Aiba under the cherry blossoms that lined the entrance to the school, Nino noticed a fourth button had appeared in the sleeve of Jun's blazer, where only three should have been. He didn't need to ask where that button had come from, it was obvious from the way Jun absent-mindedly stroke it during lessons. Nino wanted to rip it off and throw it into the fucking sea.

It should have been no surprise that after entering university, Sho would have less time to spend with his school friends. But from Jun's dejected face every time the older one declined their invitations or had to leave early when they hung out together, the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Sho was busy with course work, he had new friends and never replied to Jun's half-joking enquiries about possible girlfriends. Despite this new distance, Jun was clearly as much in love as ever with Sho. And so was Nino, unable to either give up on Jun or to confess his feelings, knowing he would be rejected for sure. 

  
The summer after Nino, Aiba and Jun finally graduated, they had all met up with their former senpais from the music club in the empty lot next to the temple close to the school and they had drank beer and lighted fireworks. Someone had even brought a watermelon that they had smashed and eaten with its sweet juice dripping down their hands. Later they had sat down and played guitar and sang popular songs. 

Nino was so caught up playing that he hadn't noticed when the pair had slipped away from the group. It was only when he was on his way to the toilet behind the deserted temple grounds that he noticed two silhouettes against the stone wall. Half hidden in the shadows, but familiar enough for him to recognise anywhere. 

"I missed you." Jun's voice, lower than usual, reached Nino's ears.

Sho's signature soft laugh followed. "Well, I'm here now."

Through horrified eyes, Nino saw as if in slow motion Jun's hands reach for Sho's shirt collar. He saw them grab the stiff fabric and pull him close. He saw his eyes closing as their lips met. He saw Sho's hand on Jun's smooth jawline. He felt sick, his knees suddenly unable to sustain his weight.

He had slipped away as quietly as he could and stumbled into the old-fashioned toilet. Locking the door to the stall as he collapsed to the ground. The room was spinning and he wasn't sure if it had been the beer or the shock. He tried closing his eyes but as soon as he did, the scene he'd just witnessed appeared as if etched in his brain. Jun's long fingers on Sho's shirt, the muscles on his arms as he drew him closer, his long fluttering eyelashes, lips sligthly parted. Nino had dreamed up all of those details himself so many times before. Seeing them like that was more than he could handle. He leaned over closer to the toilet and threw up.

He texted Aiba saying that he was feeling unwell and gone home straight away. Jun had messaged him the morning after, asking how he was feeling. In frustration, Nino threw his phone across the room. It smashed against the wall and he had to buy a new one. Looking at his hard earned money spent in such a pathetic way, he decided he needed to put an end to his ridiculous teenage crush. Jun loved Sho, and now he knew Sho liked Jun back. It was game over for him. Not that he'd ever been in the game anyway.

Nino never really knew what had gone on between his two friends. He never asked, either. But when they all got together there was nothing that hinted at a deeper relationship between them. If anything, a certain stiff gentleness appeared when they talked to one another. 

***

And now, Sho has just dropped a bomb. Requesting a moment of silence from his friends, he announces that he is getting married. As expected, Aiba is the loudest in his reaction. A hundred questions fly towards Sho from Oh-chan, which Sho gladly answers. Nino glances over at Jun, trying to decipher how the news have affected him. He has a smile on his face as he raises his glass and congratulates his friend. Nino can't tell anymore. Even when Sho pulls out his phone and shows them photos of his fiancée, Jun's smile doesn't waver. As kids, Jun had been an open book, wearing his heart on his sleeve. But the adult version of Jun is reserved and doesn't let his emotions show easily unless there's a lot of alcohol involved. Aiba starts crying and they toast loudly to Sho's health. 

  
The night drags on, full of conversation and laughter, fuelled by alcohol and Oh-chans delicious food. Nino doesn't recall who says he has to go first, but one by one they line up to grab their jackets and say goodbye to Oh-chan. It's a bit past midnight when they huddle on the street outside Ohno's restaurant. Sho hails a taxi and offers them a ride home. Aiba yawns and accepts on the spot. Nino doesn't feel like going home. Since they're all busy, they only get together every few months and he wants to make the most of the night. Standing on the street next to Jun, he pulls lightly at Jun's jacket "Do you want to go for another round? I've got a day off tomorrow." He asks, trying not to sound too eager. Jun smiles and says yes. Jun always says yes to drinks, so it doesn't come as a surprise.

  
They find a bar and they settle on the tatami at a low wooden table facing each other. Neither of them mentions Sho. Instead they talk mostly about work. Nino prefers to listen because, unlike Jun's, he doesn't think his job is very interesting in itself, and Jun has this look that Nino loves when he talks about his ideas, like he's staring into a dream world no one else can see. Inevitably, after a few drinks they start to reminisce about the stupid things they did in school and gossip about their classmates. They laugh themselves silly and Nino is having a great time. He makes sure he doesn't get too drunk because he doesn't trust himself not to say something that could ruin this. Jun drinks a bit more before they stumble outside into the deserted streets of Shinjuku.

  
They pile together in the back of the taxi they're sharing and the car slides smoothly into Tokyo's night traffic. Somehow Nino's hand is casually resting on Jun's knee, even though he doesn't remember placing it there. Jun doesn't seem to mind, or maybe he just doesn't notice. And then he leans in and rests his head on top of Nino's and yawns "You are the perfect height." He mumbles. Nino laughs. Jun always gets touchy and all sappy when he's drunk.

  
The taxi stops in front of Nino's building, he thanks the driver and gets off. Jun's smile as he leans forward in the seat to wave goodbye makes Nino's chest ache. He takes a gamble.

"Do you want to come up? I'll make you some tea."

Jun beams, his eyes turning into half-moons. He's a bit annoyed at himself that Jun has this effect on him after all these years. But he lets it go because Jun pays the driver and follows him to the front door of the apartment building. Then up the stairs and through the front door to Nino's home. 

"It's been a while since I was here." Jun comments as he takes his shoes off.

"Not much has changed, really." Nino replies, heading for the open kitchen to boil water for tea. "Make yourself comfortable." He adds.

Jun takes his jacket off and sits on the armrest of the sofa, watching Nino as he opens a cabinet and pulls out two cups. 

"I have some Kagoshima sencha and this yuzu kukicha that my sister brought recently. Which do you want?"

"Kukicha then, since it's late." 

Nino starts pouring the tea, concentrating on the task, as he knows Jun is particular about his tea and he doesn't notice Jun walk over to the kitchen. When Nino turns around to add the tea leaves to the cups, Jun is right there and gives him a start, making him drop the tea package.

"Sorry, I wanted to check the water temperature." He says sheepishly.

Maybe it's Jun's apologetic smile or maybe it's the alcohol, but Nino's body moves on his own and the next second he's pressing his lips against Jun's, his hand grasping Jun by the elbow. 

Nino is half expecting Jun to push him away any moment now. But he doesn't. Instead, he parts his lips and kisses Nino back, as if it's the most natural thing in the world. Nino's head feels lighter and lighter. He had always imagined how good it would feel to kiss Jun, but he never guessed it would feel this good. He lets out a moan. 

Jun seems to take this as a cue, he grabs Nino by the waist and spins him around, so he's got him against the kitchen counter. He presses against Nino and Nino can feel the edge of the countertop digging into his back painfully, which only turns him on more. Nino slides his palms under Jun's hoodie and feels the warm smooth skin on Jun's stomach. His hands move further down but then the spell is broken. Jun pulls away slightly and Nino sees his unfocused gaze as he blinks a few times, as if trying to make sense of what just happened.

"Nino... Nino. Wait."

Nino waits and if he didn't understand the theory of relativity in school, he does now, because the seconds he spends looking at Jun's flushed face feel like long hours. He has his majestic eyebrows slightly furrowed, his fringe, damp with sweat, sticks to his forehead and Nino thinks he has never looked more beautiful. 

"I'm done with waiting. I've waited for fucking years." Nino groans, his hands still resting on Jun's belt.

Jun's eyes are now open wide. He moves his hand away from Nino's waist and on to the kitchen counter. "I... I just... don't think this is a good idea."

Nino can feel his heart sink to his feet. If the Jun in front of him looks a bit like a deer in headlights, he must be looking like a lost puppy. He stares at the floor, where the abandoned tea package lies, and doesn't find anything to say that can stop Jun from leaving.

Jun steps back. "Sorry... I think it's best if I go." And without waiting for an answer he grabs his jacket from the sofa and leaves. The soft click of the door as it closes is deafening to Nino's ears.

The phone awakes him the next morning, but at least his friend had the decency to wait until 11AM to call.

"What do you want?"

"What did you do?" Aiba asks, without even saying hello.

Nino plays innocent. "What do you mean?"

"Matsujun showed up at my place in the midle of the night, completely wasted."

Nino can't tell if Aiba is annoyed or not, so he lets him carry on.

"He wouldn't tell me what happened but he kept asking if I thought you liked him back when we were in school." At this point he starts laughing. "He was completely freaking out. I made him instant coffee and he drank it... that Matsujun who only drinks organic tea and imported mineral water."

Despite himself, Nino is unable to resist laughing along at the image of Jun drinking cheap instant coffee.

"Anyway, I didn't tell him anything. I said he should ask you." He pauses, then asks "What happened after we left Oh-chan's?"

"We went for drinks. Then we kinda made out in my kitchen." Nino says plainly.

Aiba lets out a high-pitched screech on the line, so loud that Nino needs to move his phone away from his ear. 

"A surprise attack just after he learned his beloved senpai is getting married?" He lets out a whistle "You're so sly. Well done."

Nino didn't plan for a surprise attack and he doesn't feel like he's done particularly well, but doesn't say anything. Aiba's update puts him at ease about one thing at least. Even if he didn't say it properly, Jun had guessed that it wasn't just an accident or a side-effect from the alcohol for Nino. To some degree, his feelings had reached him. That's enough to make him want to cry with happiness. But he doesn't. He goes about as usual on his day off. He plays games and gets takeaway at his favourite shop and he tries to ignore the fact that no message or call comes from Jun. He doesn't message him either, unable to find anything to say for the first time.

Three days later a message arrives, Nino is at the store when it does and doesn't notice until he's on lunch break. He reads it with his mouth full of tuna mayo onigiri.

"Sorry for disturbing you in the middle of work. I am on my way to New York and will be gone for a few weeks. Let's meet once I'm back. I'll bring a souvenir. J."

Nino laughs out loud in the empty staff room at the back of the store. This vague text is so like Jun. But since it's not a straight rejection, he allows himself to harbor a little hope for the first time in his life.

Three weeks later, in the late afternoon, there is a knock at the door of the staff room where Nino is sitting in front of the computer typing in order reports. The door opens. Aizawa, one of the part time workers stands at the doorway "Sorry to disturb you, Ninomiya-san. You have a visitor."

Nino is not expecting anyone today, he quickly double checks his calendar to make sure he hasn't missed anything. "Who is it?" He asks.

"It's Matsumoto-san, here's his card." She approaches Nino and hands him a business card with a bold purple logo.

Nino can swear he feels his heart stop. He doesn't need to read the name in the card to know who it belongs to. Nervously, he clears his throat. "I'll be right out."

After Aizawa leaves, he checks the clock on the wall opposite him. It's nearly closing time, so he decides to turn the computer off and continue tomorrow. He grabs his phone and wallet, stuffs them in his pockets and goes out.

Jun is looking around the shop picking up and inspecting some of the items on display. He's wearing loose black slacks and a cream colored knitted sweater, black slip-on sneakers and a leather satchel he probably got at some designer's workshop in New York. He looks like a bloody celebrity and the staff keep stealing glances at him, then looking at Nino curiously. 

"I'll be leaving for today. Please close up the shop." Nino tells the staff at the register. They nod and wish him a good evening.

Jun is waiting by the antique toy shelves, looking at vintage teddy bears Nino sourced from Germany. He turns to Nino when he approaches "These are amazing. I might end up buying one." He says.

"I'll give you a staff discount." Nino replies. "Let's get out of here."

They walk side by side in silence to Nino's favourite kissaten, tucked away at the end of the shopping street. The owner greets Nino warmly and they sit down in a table at the mezzanine level next to a window overlooking the street. Jun looks at the menu for a couple of minutes and ends up ordering an Earl Grey set. It comes in a dainty English tea set that matches Jun's elegant hands perfectly. 

"How was New York?" Nino asks, finally.

"It was good. Same old, I went to a lot of art exhibitions and caught up with some of my designer friends. It was refreshing." Jun keeps stirring his tea and looking out the window. After a while he turns to look at Nino. "Sorry I disappeared like that. I just needed some space to think."

Nino nods "I'm sorry, too." Not really sure what he's apologising for.

Jun picks up his cup and takes a sip of his tea. He sighs. "I never noticed, I'm sorry. You never said a word."

Nino smiles "You were in love with someone else, what was I supposed to say?"

Jun rests his head in his hand and his smile has a hint of sadness. "You're right." 

After a while, Jun breaks the silence once more. "It's true that I never thought of you like that. I was always only concerned with my own feelings. But... I have been thinking of you since then." 

Nino looks at Jun, trying to predict where this is going. His heart pounding hard, his throat suddenly so dry he downs half of his iced latte in one go. He wants to hear what Jun has to say, but at the same time he doesn't.

"To be perfectly honest," Jun continues "I haven't been able to think of anything else. I feel like a pervert, Nino." His smile grows mischievous. 

Nino's jaw drops. He can't believe his ears, but Jun is not done speaking yet.

"It's a pain. I was in New York for three weeks and all I could think about was you. When I ate something delicious I thought I'd like you to try it, if I saw something cool I wondered what you'd think of it... a real waste of a trip. I couldn't wait to be back, so I rushed here as soon as I landed. I haven't even been home yet."

  
As they leave the cafe and stroll down the shopping street hand in hand, Nino asks about his souvenir. 

"I had it sent home by courier, so it must have arrived by now." Jun's cheeks have a slight tint when he continues "Maybe we should go to my place and check." 

Nino laughs and squeezes Jun's hand and thinks life's never been so good. 


End file.
